Greater Belfast is a refreshingly indefinable show that pays homage to its creator’s home town.
Matt Regan is an original stage presence, whose work crosses over genres with ease. At various times in the 65-minute performance, he is a raconteur, a historian, a poet, a singer and probably even more.
To heighten the effect, Regan brings along an all-female string quartet (heavily amplified), who accompany the storytelling, support the songs and help to create a chilling seascape to end the evening.
The subject matter skirts around the T…, never fully named, though the Peace Line is invoked. Instead, Regan talks about the city itself, its people and their attraction to suicide, the accent, as well as his own experiences.
He pays tribute to the Province’s best bands, The Undertones and Stiff Little Fingers, but there is also original music in a splendid escape from the Fringe’s more typical fare.